Playbook changes on BET's highly rated 'The Game'

By Helena Andrews, The Root

Published 5:03 pm, Friday, March 29, 2013

There were a lot of tears from fans and actors alike during the emotional premiere of BET's hit dramedy “The Game,” which returned for its sixth season by saying goodbye to two of the show's main characters.

Since it landed on the cable network in 2011, cheerleaders for the original CW series, which was resurrected by BET after a robust online campaign, have struggled with rooting for the show in its new uniform. The playbook is different, the storylines are more disparate, the jokes are more deadpan and beloved cast members had been cast off. Yet despite criticism, “The Game” has been a ratings juggernaut for BET. Fans can be forgiving.

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Still, even the most devoted diehard's faith was shaken by the episode, which waved a final farewell to the show's moral anchor, Derwin Davis. Derwin (played by Pooch Hall) and his roller-coaster relationship with girlfriend-turned-trophy-wife Melanie (played by Tia Mowry) was the central artery of the show's heart.

After convoluted plot twists took Melanie to Baltimore to finally finish her medical residency, the show's producers decided to demote her character to second string, making “Med School” a recurring, not regular, role. In light of that news, Mowry struggled with the decision to renew her contract in front of the cameras on her reality show, “Tia & Tamera.”

“I feel like I'm in a dilemma because, say I come back to the show as recurring. Then, it could hinder my opportunities of me being able to book another show as a regular,” said the former “Sister, Sister” actress, who eventually chose to leave the show that helped shed her child-star image. In an eyebrow-raising coincidence, the character replacing Mowry's, Keira Whitaker (played by Lauren London), is a child star looking to shed her little-girl persona.

For his part, Hall had already landed another series, Showtime's “Ray Donovan,” and according to reports, he had planned on popping up on both networks. But “The Game” producers made other arrangements, making the episode Derwin's last stand.

Tweets from fans during the season premiere (and record 100th episode) ranged from outright outrage to quiet acceptance. Some tweeted Hall, claiming that “The Game” could never be the same without Derwin “Ding Dong” Davis, going so far as to argue that “true” fans should quit the show entirely. On Twitter, Hall doled out plenty of thanks but never once bashed the show's new direction — perhaps after having been cowed by former co-star Hosea Chanchez, who plays bad-boy quarterback Malik Wright.